Studio 4 ears

education: National Academy of Arts, Sofia in the programs: Woodcarving, Metal, Design in Advetising and Textile – art and design

location: Sofia, Bulgaria

М: Who and what is Studio 4 ears?

Studio 4 ears: It is a circle of friends artists. We graduated the National Academy of Arts in different years and faculties. We work in different areas of the plastic and fine arts, sculpture, wood-carving, design etc. The name was conceived as a dialogue, it was about listening, that is equally important as hearing, but for this at least 4 ears are needed. We don’t have exact number of members because one of the main ideas is to search for proselytes and to get larger. As we like to say the studio remains an open community where there is a place for everyone who feels in place.

author: Valentin Mitev “Look” and “Love”

M: Where was the studio born?

S4E: The idea was born between the ears of all of us and it has developed on its own. A big role played the common atelier that we work at, we have to thank our landlord (it is not the most accurate word) and friend Kunio for it.

S4E: This is actually the studio’s first serious project. It is a long-term project and includes several exhibitions in the next couple of years.

IDIOT (a man full of ideas) or I’m emigrating in 3 years!

The project focuses on the problem about the bulgarian “IDIOT”, whose creative ideas are met with rdicule, harsh criticism, indifference or are being stolen ect. So the ideas of the “IDIOT” are doomed to failure and force him to emigrate or to become half idiot.

The goal of the project is to make an attempt to push a person to be an “IDIOT” in his own country, and this starts around 3 years after the exhibition starts.

The execution of the project provides the realisation of “IDIOTIC” ideas and their pleasureable for the senses presentation through form, sounds and other means of expression – this will prove the need of the “IDIOTS”. Three years after the event, if nothing changes, the “IDIOTS” have the right to leave the country or become halfidiots.

In a way this is a provocation to both people and to ourselves to keep working, because actually no one of us wants to be halfidiot or to emigrate, just to have the opportunity to express him/herself. We started with an exhibition at the Suspacious gallery in Sofia. We also have been invited to exhibit it in another city.

author: Nikolay Martinov “A Place for everybody, everybody in their place”

М: Do you evolve in the preffered society?

S4E: We are looking for adherents.

author: Ventsislav Shishkov “Spindle”

М: Do you try to avoid commercialization?

S4E: Money is needed, but the last thing we aim is commercialization.

author: Milena Dacheva “Soaring Threads”

М: Where is the love in the studio?

S4E: Everywhere, everytime, in everything…

author: Vanya Dimitrova “Bubbles” and “Bubbles”

М: What do you not approve in the contemporary conceptual art scene?

S4E: We disapprove only the part of it that deals with problems solved 30 years ago, when today we still have problems dating 300 years ago still waiting for a solution.

author: Hristo Kirilov “Spring”

М: Harmony is?

S4E: Harmony is when the graphic designer holds the engraver and the wood-carver converst a file into CMYK

М: We hear you have a Studio diary. Share some quotes, please.

S4E: This is the so cold “Ship log-book” (we will soon be finishing Volume 2). In it we write down some serious thoughts about art and so, some funny and some purely vulgar thoughts and drawings.

“Wood carving is to simplify a complex form, sculpture is to complicate a simple one”

“I understood what Tsetso didn’t hear, not what Svetlio said to him”

author: Tsvetan Nikolov “Arfican girl”

М: What is the crucial age you see Studio 4 ears?

S4E: Wooow, we said “Hello, World” so soon that we think to stay for some time.

author: Ilia Novachev “ChameNeon” and “Parrot”

М: The most precious is?

S4E: To have fun.

author: Ivan Ushev “Dances, dances”

М: Last words

S4E: Onward and upward!

If you want to contact them or see more of their art click here and here.